The Golding Institute - Final Relaxation

Now, are we sitting comfortably? You might be sceptical about listening to a CD with the stated intent to bring about death through hypnotic suggestion. All you have to do is fill in the 'final will and testament' included in the inlay while unsettlingly deep narration guides a program of visualisations and breathing techniques which should induce the Final Relaxation. It might not be as listenable as it is a quirky oddity, but it is pretty clever, and there are moments of genuine comedy gold in its irreverant encouragment of despair over throbbing medical drones. If you've ever rolled on the floor in laughter to 'Bad Taste', 'Evil Dead' or Bill Hick's Goatboy, this will definitely tickle your fancy. It's obtuse enough of a novelty album to warrant this as the audio equivalent of an 80s b-movie, but it seems unlikely that anyone would play this more than once - but then again, that's the whole point. [Ali Maloney]